Nobody's there
by Thaedras
Summary: An assassin wants to quit the business and chooses Konoha to do it in, with the help of some shinobi. But can an ex-killer be a regular teenager again? A certain green-suited ninja thinks so. Rock LeexOC
1. Chapter 1

****READ IMPORTANT: I wrote this fic originally for Quizilla, so it is in a first person style (sort of). You read the story as if it's about you. I am posting my Quizilla stories on this site because I know that they will actually get read on this site. (Quizilla is hit or miss sometimes)**

Ok, this is the first chapter of my OC story with Rock Lee! Enjoy!

_Focus. A ninja's goal is to fulfill their mission no matter the cost. You must always hit your mark, striking hard and true. Nothing else matters in the eyes of a ninja except the final killing stroke. Focus on what's in front of you_. You let your eyes slide over the scene that was laid out before you. Everything is bathed in blood, including you. You smile at the coppery taste on your lips and seeing the red stain the blades of your twin tantos. It was so beautiful... you smirk and walk away. Another mission complete. Grabbing the necessary items of proof off the victims you set out of the mansion, already thinking about what you'll be spending your money on.

Arriving back at the safe house, you walk past the guards unquestioned, an evil smirk on your face. Once inside, it was straight to the boss' office. You throw the items onto his desk. The large man didn't even spare them a glance, keeping his gaze on your form.

"Mission complete Bossman," you say, catching the bag of money he tossed you with one hand. It was nice and full, just the way you like it.

"Thinking of taking time off?" he inquired, blowing smoke to add to the cloud that lingered around him. You chuckle.

"Not a chance." He smirks at you and stands, his intimidating demeanor has long since lost its affect on you.

"Good." He hands you a mission file.

"You have free reign on this one. Kill as many as you like, just as long as one is your objective," he says. You flip through the file and glance over the profile of your mark. _Hatake Kakashi... location: Konoha Village._ A fire came to life in the back of your mind at the mention of Konoha. _This just might be the opportunity that I've been waiting for_, your inner self grinned while you kept a blank look on the outside.

"Konoha's quite a ways away. It'll take me a while just to get there," you yawn, as if the mission hadn't even peaked your interest. "But I guess I could go for a different climate." The Boss grinned at you.

"Two months," he stated, setting your time limit. You grin. Perfect.

"Well, see you. Maybe I'll work on my tan while I'm there..." you started speaking to herself as you left the office. Once you were clear of the room you headed straight to your room upstairs. Unfortunately, you didn't make it there before you were intercepted by a sly-looking red head with tattoos on his neck. He had devious eyes that shone like emeralds, but wore a kind look.

"Hey, whatcha got there Yuki-chan?" he drawled the honorific out playfully, grating on your nerves. He knew you hated it when he called you that.

"Just a mission," you reply, trying to inch your way around the thief.

"Ooh! Where?" he asked excitedly and the file was instantly in his hands. A vein under your eye twitches and you snatch the file back before he could rifle through it too much.

"Konoha." You told him. "And it's a one person job." You state matter-of-factly and walk past him, ignoring his taunts as you finally came to your room and shut the door.

_Damn you Marric... this plan is 3 years in the making. There is no way I'm letting you ruin it_, you think heatedly and finally relax and sit down to study the file thoroughly, not missing a detail. After a while you sit back and stare at the wall. _This is it,_ you think. _I'm finally going to be able to do it..._ you snap out of your trance and quickly begin assembling everything you'll need. _If I can just pull this off, I'll finally be... _

2 hours later...

"Yukiko! Pay attention will you?" A voice drew you back to the task at hand. The man before you was Jarvis, the weapons and equipment procurer of Bossman's Organization. He was a thin, lean man with thick glasses that rested practically on the tip of his nose. He was handing you various items of interest, but you were becoming bored.

"Listen Jarvis, unless you have something that will get me across the continent in a matter of minutes, I really should get going," you say, glancing toward the exit.

"Well as a matter of fact, I have been working on something to that affect." He said smugly, leading you over to a row of shelves on which 3 stones were resting on. One was green, another was yellow, and the third was blue. All of them were glowing.

"Now I call these Hearthstones," he said, picking one up. Now, in theory mind you, once you've set a specific location into the stone, no matter where you are in the world, once you activate the stone it will take you back to that place every time." You pick one up and toss it in the air playfully, much to his dismay.

"So do they work?" you ask, already having palmed the green one and replaced it with a decoy.

"Well, you just hold it in your hand and think about the place you want to go, but they haven't been perfected yet. Like this one," he said picking up the yellow one, "is supposed to take you to Sunagakure. And this one," he picked up the decoy green one, "should take you to the front gates of Konoha." He put them down and shook his head.

"But?"

"But after all my experiments, all the test subjects ended up miles away from their targeted city. They still traveled a great distance mind you, but it isn't useful until it's been perfected. How would it be if you needed to infiltrate a city from the inside, but ended up splashing around in the lake outside?" He shook his head. "No practical application yet." He turned away, letting you swipe the yellow stone as well. Never knew when it would come in handy.

"Well Jarvis it's been fun really, but my mission awaits." You walk decidedly out of the room before the man could object further. You couldn't believe your luck. It didn't matter if this thing didn't take you all the way to Konoha. If it even halved your journey it would be very beneficial. Normally, the two month span would be just the right amount of time to put your plan into action, but there would be no leeway. It would take at least three weeks to travel there normally, but now with your new shinny rock, you'd have a lot more time to work all the details out.

Using the Hearthstone, you were able to arrive at the gates of Konoha in only a weeks' time. You almost pause to smile, but remain serious. The defenses weren't too hard to bypass, it was peacetime after all. After a short while you found yourself outside the window of what you had determined was the Hokage's office. It looked like he was in a meeting with a few people... jounins by the look of them. Even your mark was there, Hatake Kakashi.

No one even noticed you until you were inside with a kunai in hand. Everyone made a move to intervene but the Hokage held a hand up for them to stand their ground. He turned to face you.

"Hokage-sama," you bowed politely then grinned. "I have a proposition for you."

**Haha, cliffhangers ;p**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter!**

"Hokage-sama, I have a proposition for you," you say, eying the jounin behind the old man carefully. They remained still, but you could tell they were all ready to spring into action in an instant. You smirk. Your kind of people.

"But first allow me to introduce myself," you say, putting away the kunai slowly. "My name is Yukiko, and I was sent here by Bossman Yabuki to kill Hatake Kakashi." Everyone glances at the masked jounin before you continue.

"But luckily for you I have no intention of fulfilling that mission... or working for Bossman ever again."

"So Yukiko-san," the Hokage says, standing. "Just what kind of proposition do you have for me?" He looks at you steadily.

"One that would be mutually beneficial," you say, smiling.

"So we're agreed then?" You say, staring the old man down. You had just spent the last twenty minutes explaining your plan to everyone while they watched you with careful eyes. He nods solemnly. You grin. Taking a step forward, you lift your kunai out of its place again and raise it. But before anyone can react you grab a hold of your long braid and slice it off, sending golden hairs drifting to the floor.

"As a sign of faith," you say and hand the braid to the Hokage. "Keep your end of the bargain and I vow that I will never betray you or yours, and I will defend this village as if it were my own." He smiles at you.

"And now that that's settled..." you say, but are interrupted by your stomach growling loudly making everyone sweatdrop. You laugh nervously. "Where's a place to eat at?"

"Hm... Ichiraku Ramen Bar eh?" you say, looking down at the meal ticket you were given as you walk down the street. "Shouldn't be too hard to find... if I'd ever been here before," you grumble. You try to ask a woman directions but she quickly ran away from you, practically dragging her daughter behind her. You look at yourself in a nearby street vendor's mirror.

'Ah, I guess I do look pretty scary. If I was a mother with a small child, I wouldn't trust me either', you laugh. You unzip the top of your black jumpsuit, slipping your arms out of the long sleeves before tying them around your waist. Gently you pull your black mask down from your face until it rests around your neck, the edges connected with the neckline of your lavender tank top. You pause to look yourself over again and decide to keep your bandanna on, not wanting to show that just yet. You supposed you looked more like a ninja rather than an assassin now, especially with your arms bandaged up to your elbows and your black fingerless gloves that had metal plates stitched on the backs.

Now satisfied with your appearance, you make your way down the street a ways before trying to flag down another passerby for directions.

"Excuse me, but do you know wh-," but you stop, hearing massive amounts of yelling coming from your right. You turn and your eyes go wide as you're just able to dodge an orange blur as it parted the crowd. It seemed to be the source of the yelling that was now intelligible.

"RAMEN! RAMEN RAMENRAMENRAMEN RAMEN!!!!!!" you heard as the figure ran past.

"Stupid idiot." You dust yourself off before something in your head clicks. "Wait, he said ramen right?" You look down at your meal ticket then set off running after the streak. You have trouble keeping up with it, but in less than a minutes' time, you find yourself standing in front of a tasty smelling ramen bar. And it was the right one too! Smiling, you push aside the curtains and take a seat on the end stool. Sitting 3 seats down front you, you see the orange blur who was in fact a guy who had spiky blond hair and was eating faster than you thought humanly possible.

"Seconds please!" he announced, holding up his empty bowl. You notice the Konoha forehead protector. This guy is a ninja? He looks only slightly younger than you and not very dangerous at all, but you had long since known not to judge by appearances.

"Miso ramen please," you say, handing the meal ticket over to the man behind the counter. The guy looked over at you as your food was prepared.

"Are you new in town? I haven't seen you before," he said.

"Yeah, I just got here," you say, smiling at him. You pretended to notice his forehead protector. "Hey, you're a ninja? I just applied to be one here too." His face lit up.

"Really? Well my name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be the greatest Hokage!" he punched the air excitedly as your food was set in front of you. You reached and hand for your face, forgetting that you had already taken your mask down. Picking up your chopsticks you slurp up a few noodles.

"If you believe in yourself enough, you'll be able to," you say casually. Naruto stared at you in disbelief.

"I like you!" he declared, making you spew ramen everywhere.

"Pardon?!" you say, wiping food from your face and the counter. He blushes, realizing what he's said.

"No no! Not like that! I just meant... well, it's not that you're not pretty, you are... but I just..." he fumbles, trying to not dig himself any deeper.

"It's just that... most people make fun of me when I say that," he finally manages. You smile at him. 'It feels weird being to friendly', you think to yourself as he grins back.

"So what's your name anyways?"

"Yukiko," you say through a mouthful of noodles. You both continue to eat while talking about this and that. Well, mainly you're listening to him talk, but you don't really mind. His cheerfulness is refreshing to the blood and death that usually surround you.

"Naruto! Na-ru-to!" You hear a voice call after a while. You swivel your eyes to the side and see a small group of people approaching.

"Naruto, you're still eating?" a rather annoyed-looking pink haired girl who was in front said. She started to drag him off by his collar while he desperately tried to finish the rest of his ramen.

"Wait! Sakura!" he pleaded. "Wait, I want you to meet someone!" she paused and he slurped down the last bite before turning to you.

"This is Yukiko, and she just moved here. Yukiko, this is Sakura and Sasuke, they're on my team! And this is Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji."

"Hey, how come I always get introduced last?" Chouji whined, finishing off a bag of chips.

"You're so troublesome," Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes.

"Well I think you should both be quiet!" Ino yelled, scaring the two then turning back to you with a smile that scared even you a little.

"So, where did you move from?" she asked.

"Uh..." you try to think fast, but nothing comes to mind.

"Don't you know its rude to ask about someone's past Ino-pig?" Sakura said, ginning evilly.

"What was that forehead-girl?!" They glare and growl at each other while everyone else just sweatdrops.

"We were headed to the training grounds," Sasuke says, turning away from the pair and starting down the road. Naruto turned to you.

"Hey Yukiko-san, would you like to come with us?" he asks you with a wide grin.

"You just want to show off!" Sakura said, punching him in the head and not missing a beat with her argument with Ino. 'I should have more time until I need to go back to see Hokage-sama', you think to yourself and decide that having a few friends wouldn't hurt... much.

"I'd love to," you say and you all start off, but you pause, making some distance between you and the group.

"You guys coming too?" you ask and turn to the two shinobi that had been trailing you ever since you left the Hokage's office. As soon as your eyes set on them they disappeared quickly. You smile and jog to catch up to the group.

When you arrive at the training grounds, Ino's team ran off to train leaving you with Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto who were looking around for something. You shift awkwardly, not sure what to do.

"Man! Kakashi-sensei still isn't here yet?" Naruto exclaims, kicking some dirt up with his foot.

"Of course not. You know he's always late," Sasuke said. Glancing over at you momentarily he walked away, presumably to begin training without his teacher.

"Ah! Sasuke-kun, wait for me!" Sakura said, bounding off after him.

"It seems like you've lost your team," a voice said behind you. Turning, you saw a group of shinobi who looked like they were your age. The guy out front had strange white eyes and long black hair and wore a smug look on his handsome face. The girl to his left wore a Chinese style shirt and wore her hair up in two buns. She was smiling and you thought she looked pretty. The third member of the team was a guy who was wearing a green bodysuit and had rather large eyebrows. But, as good looking as the first boy was, you thought this one was even better. Especially his hair. It just looked so soft and shinny. He looked over at you, but you quickly avert your gaze.

"No Neji," Naruto drawled, "we're just waiting for Kakashi-sensei to show up." The two glared at each other and there was an awkward silence before you finally elbow him roughly. He looked over at you curiously before catching your drift.

"Oh! Guys, this is Yukiko-chan. She just moved here and also applied to be a shinobi. Yukiko, this is Neji," he motioned to the guy with long hair, "Tenten," he pointed to the girl, "and-"

"I am Rock Lee! The beautiful beast of Konoha!" the guy in green declared, stepping forward. Tenten shook her head.

"We should go out sometime!" he says, catching you off guard.

"I... don't even know you..." you say, your cheeks slightly tinged with pink.

"Oh..." he had never thought of it that way before. "Well, perhaps I'll ask you again when you do!" he said, giving you a shiny smile and a thumbs up. You reach down and pull your mask back up, hiding the blush that you couldn't contain anymore.

"So anyways," Tenten said, changing the subject. "Have either of you seen Gai-sensei? He was supposed to be here 10 minutes ago." Naruto shook his head.

"Maybe he's trying to be more like Kakashi-sensei and be late too."

"Gai-sensei would never be late for such a reason!" Lee declared, eyes aflame. Something pinged in your head as you thought about the people who had been in the Hokage's office upon your arrival.

"Excuse me, but what does this 'Gai' look like?" you ask.

"Hm? A grown up version of him," Naruto says, pointing a finger at Lee who blushes.

"Ah, there's no need to worry. He's in a meeting with Hokage-sama. Kakashi too," you say reassuredly.

"You mean he actually has an excuse this time?" Naruto commented, surprised.

Meanwhile in the Hokage's office...

"Hokage-sama! I highly disagree with your decision!" a jounin protests after you had left. "Are we to trust a declared assassin to walk our streets?!"

"Calm yourself. She will be shadowed for the time being, but I do believe she is telling the truth. There are still many questions to be answered, but I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt right now."

"But, Hokage-sama..."

"Her skills will need to be tested before we can test her trust. I will need someone to oversee her exam as well as finding her a secure place to stay."

"DRAMATIC ENTRY!" a voice declares as a figure in green jump-kicks to the front of the room. "Just leave that to me sir!"

"Gai? I didn't think you'd be interested in her," Kakashi says. 'Idiot, how can it be a dramatic entry when you were already here?'

Gai flashed his nice guy pose and declared, "The passion of youth burns inside her! I wouldn't want this on anyone else."

Kakashi just shakes his head. 'I almost feel sorry for her.'

Back at the training grounds...

Since none of anyone's sensei's can be found, most of the people decided to set up a friendly tournament. You manage to stick to the sidelines and blend in with the background, not particularly wanting to fight, but still observing carefully. 'Everyone here seems above average' you think, then glance over at a few who were sticking to the sidelines that included Ino, Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji, and a rather shy looking girl with short blue hair. 'Well... everyone who's fighting that is.' You feel a little awkward with everyone being so relaxed and carefree at first, (You are used to a high-stakes kill or be killed lifestyle after all) but after a while you relax and begin to enjoy watching some of the matches. You laugh as you watch Naruto and Kiba throw insults back and forth, not knowing which is the loudest and most show-off-y. Shino managed to convince Shikamaru to fight, but you almost screamed when all of those bugs appeared. 'Man, he's even creepier now than before' you think. The one thing really surprises you the most is Lee's speed. From what you can tell he only uses taijutsu, which you find strange, but it doesn't seem like he needs anything else! 'Even I'd have trouble keeping up with with that' you think as he finishes his fight and flashes another 'nice guy' pose. You shake your head.

"Neji, it's your turn!" You hear Tenten declare as she pushes him forward. "Isn't there anyone left?" she asks. Neji turns and smiles.

"Personally, I've been wanting to see what you're capable of," he says, pointing to... you! You look up at him and smile.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly go against you Neji-san. Surely there is someone better suited for you to spar with," you say trying to get out of it.

"Oh, that won't do, get your butt out there and show us what you've got!" Sakura says, giving you a little shove. You smirk, thinking of how you'll torture her later.

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped then," you say, facing Neji in the center of the clearing. He takes a stance and you smile, holding out a finger.

"Oh? What's that? Are you going to say you'll beat me with one finger?" Neji asks sarcastically.

"Oh no. I'm just saying that one move is all I'll need to beat you," you say and you hear whispers start amongst everyone watching. Neji glares at you.

"All right! Let this match begin!" Tenten says, acting as referee and jumps out of the way. You make a few hand seals and concentrate, not moving from your spot. Everyone is cheering and shouting words of encouragement to both of you.

"Be careful Yukiko-chan! Do not underestimate him!" you hear Lee yell, making you smile slightly. After a moment you speak.

"Aren't you going to attack?" Neji smirks at you before replying.

"I'm just curious about this 'one attack' that will defeat me. I'd like to see it." It's now your turn to smirk.

"Don't misunderstand. I've already made my move," you say and his eyes widen as he feels the sharp prick of two kunai on his neck. Turning his head he sees that you are the one behind him with the kunai, then watches in shock as the illusionary you in front of him disappears in a puff of smoke.

"How...?"

"Simple really. Are you forgetting the hand seals I made in the beginning? All I did was make a clone of myself around myself, then step back, and while you were occupied with it, snuck up behind you," you say.

"But I would have seen some trace of you. Unless you can turn completely invisible..." You give him a toothy grin.

"Maybe," you say. "But just as easy as that was, if the situation were different and you had somehow detected me before my attack," you let up on the kunai and he spins around, making you jump out of the way. You dodge and block a few blows before he lands a hit, sending you skidding back a ways in a crouching position.

"Then I would easily be pushed back," you finish your statement before standing. "That is not how I fight." You put your kunai away. "But needless to say, if this had been a real fight, you would have been dead before you even knew what happened." He clenches his fists a little but nods before making his way over to where Tenten and Lee are. You try to head back to the tree you had been sitting under but everyone rushes around you, cheering and marveling at you. Not exactly a situation you were used to.

"Haha, I really should be going back to the Hokage's office now," you say, trying to pry your way away from them. "I promised I'd go back later, sorry." But just as you turn around a grown man wearing a green bodysuit with a bowl haircut appears in front of you, practically giving you a heart attack. You fall over backward onto your butt and stare up at him.

"Ah! Such a wonderful display of youth!!" he declares to you and you continue to gape at him. (Your face is like this: O.O' haha)

"Yukiko-san! Your submission to be a shinobi of Konoha has been... approved! But because of your ah, special circumstances you will be tested by a special committee in one weeks' time to determine your level of skill. Until then, you'll be staying with me!" Your eyes get even wider at his last statement and you sweatdrop big time. 'I have to stay... with this guy?'

"Hey hey, enough of that. Keep it up and she'll think you're some kind of pervert," Tenten said and helped you up. "What he means is that you'll be staying with our team. Right sensei?" Gai shed some tears at the thought of being considered a pervert, but recovered quickly to give you both a thumbs up and a smile that nearly blinded you.

"Right you are Tenten!" he declared. Tenten smiled at you, Neji seemed indifferent, and Lee punched the air excitedly with a big grin on his face, making you look away, slightly embarrassed. Instead you turn back to Gai and bow respectfully.

"Arigato Gai-sensei," you say and he smiles at you as everyone congratulates you.

"Oi, Gai-sensei," Naruto says, getting the man's attention. "Wasn't Kakashi-sensei with you?" Gai looks around.

"He was right behind me. Perhaps something slowed him up," he suggested. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke all sweatdrop and hang their heads.

"Every time..." Sakura says helplessly.

Later on in the day Gai's and his team take you back to where you'll be staying. (I know that the teams don't live together but I always liked the idea k?) It was a nice place that was so welcoming that it made your skin crawl.

"Our rooms are upstairs," Tenten says as she leads you up an old wooden staircase that creaks under your feet. "This will be your room," she says, opening the second door on the right. "Sorry it's so plain, but it's really just a guest bedroom you know? Your room shares a bathroom with mine, and Neji and Lee are across the hall. Gai-sensei's room is downstairs." You step into the room and look around. It was pretty standard really. Just a bed, dresser, and some shelves half filled with books and scrolls. There were breezy curtains pulled across the window in front of you, and the door to the bathroom was to the right. You set down your pack and sigh.

"Arigato Tenten," you say, making her smile.

"Well, if you need anything else, you know where to find me," she says and starts to leave.

"Ano..." you say and she turns back to you. Your eyes are downcast. "I was wondering... just what Gai-sensei has told you all about me." Tenten blinks.

"Not much really. Just that you just moved in from another town and that you're 'exceptionally youthful'," she says, doing an impression of Gai. "Why, what's the matter?" You smile at her.

"Ah, it's nothing really," you lie. "Thank you again, I'm sure I will love staying here." You bow and she finally leaves. 'I figured they didn't know yet' you think as you place what little clothes you had with you in the dresser. Unfortunately, you hadn't been able to pack up as many things as you would have liked. Any more for a two month mission and people back at the Organization would start asking questions, and you would have none of that. You were willing to sacrifice a few material possessions for your freedom. You flop down on the bed and shift around before drifting into a fitful sleep, your thoughts dwelling on your past...

Flashback time! (Hey, at least it's not happening in the middle of a battle XD)

_You were 4 years old and you were living in a quiet but prosperous village in the north. _

_"I did it! I did it!" you yelled excitedly as you ran down the streets, clutching your brand new forehead protector in your hand as you ran home to show your parents. Bursting through the front doors you almost tripped over yourself trying to get your shoes off before running any further inside. _

_"Kaa-san! Tou-san! I did it! I graduated!" you declare as you burst in on your parents who had just sat down for lunch. You presented the forehead protector proudly while grinning ear to ear._

_"Well, put it on already," your father said, and you laughed excitedly as you tied it in place. He grinned back._

_"It suits you," he said and your mother hugged you. _

_"I want to show Rin!" you declare as you wriggle out of her arms and go in search for your older sister on the grounds. You found her training in the courtyard. She turns to you and gasps when she sees you._

_"See sis?" you say, adjusting the forehead protector. "You're not the only smart one in the family!" She was two years older than you but had only graduated from the academy a year before. "You'd better watch out, cuz I'm gonna' catch up to you!" you declared, pointing a finger at her. She just smiled and walked towards you._

_"Oh really? I don't think that's going to happen. Especially since I know your weakness," she said and grinned evilly at you. Your eyes grew wide._

_"No! Not that!!" you scream and try to get away, but she tackles you and starts tickling your stomach, making you laugh hysterically. Then without warning she blew a raspberry on your stomach._

_"Ah no! My strength is gone! You have defeated me once again sister," you say as you jump up and she begins chasing you around the compound. You had just started tickling back when it happened. It started with a huge explosion that rocked the entire village. You could hear the sound of battle coming from the streets as you see columns of smoke rising from all corners of the town. Your father came running into the courtyard looking slightly battered._

_"Rin, take Yukiko and hide! Make sure you're not seen!" he demanded._

_"But father, I can help!" she protested._

_"Me too!" tears streaming down your face._

_"I know you can, but you need to stay hidden for now. That is your mission," he said and ran out of the house again towards the sound of fighting. You and Rin hid in a secret room under one of the tatami mats in the kitchen and waited, only able to hear sounds of the brutality happening outside. You tried not to cry, but couldn't help yourself. _

_"It's getting quiet," you say after a while. Rin put her hand on the handle to the door._

_"I'm going to check it out," she said. You grabbed her arm desperately._

_"No! Tou-san told us to stay hidden!"_

_"Don't worry, you know no one can see through my ninjutsu," she grinned at you. "I just want to see what's happening." _

_"Take me with you!" you pleaded. She glared at you._

_"Fine, but you'd better keep quiet," she says and you both made your way out of the secret room and up onto the roof of your home. There you could both see the horror that lay in the streets. Bloody bodies were scattered everywhere. The bodies of your kinsmen. Rin held you close as you watched what looked like a procession make it's way down your street, stopping in the town square not far from where you were. The man out front had a cruel face and his armor was drenched in blood. _

_"I NOW DECLARE THIS VILLAGE OUR NEW HOMEBASE!" he yelled for everyone to hear. "ANYONE ELSE WHO OPPOSES US WILL BE KILLED!" There were still a few skirmishes going on around the village, but he just laughed. _

_"We are a peaceful town, why have you come here?" a defiant voice rang out and you nearly gasped when you saw your father walking towards the man. His clothes were torn and he was limping slightly, but he held his head high._

_"Oh? One of the fighters is still alive?" the cruel man sneered. "I thought I already said that part. We're here because this village is now the new Homebase for my Organization." _

_You could not do anything but watch as your father was killed. Rin jumped up and charged at him, knocking you off the roof accidentally. You looked up and caught a glimpse of your mother who was on the floor of the living room, her eyes wide in an endless stare and blood staining her yellow dress. You screamed. But then you remembered Rin and hurried towards the square. By the time you got there her blood was spread out along with your fathers'. You ran over to her and shook her shoulders, her dark pink hair falling over her eyes. Screaming out loud you picked up your father's sword and faced the man who had killed them. Your hands were shaking and you could barely lift the heavy blade, but you stood your ground. A few of the cruel man's lackeys moved to intercept you, but he held up a hand and approached you himself. You lunged forward but he easily knocked the blade out of your hands and held you up by your throat._

_"Most of the fighters are dead girl, but still you have the guts to raise a blade against me? I like your spirit," he said and tossed you to the man on his left who threw you over his shoulder, ignoring your tiny fists on his back._

_"Who knows, I might be able to get some use out of you," he said, taking a hold of your chin and wrenching your face up to look at him. "Someone so young wearing one of these is bound to have talent," he said and yanked your forehead protector off. You tried to grab for it but he tossed it away._

You wake up with a start, sweat streaming down your face. You flop back down and stare up at the ceiling, remembering bitterly what had happened a week after that incident. Your blood ran cold when you thought about his voice. Bossman...

_"I told you not to try to escape little cat," he said, throwing you down onto the rough stone floor of your room/cell. You spit at him and glared hatefully._

_"Good, your full of anger, you're going to need that. And just to make sure you wont try anything else like that," he said, grabbing you by the collar and lifting you up, your toes dangling helplessly a foot above the ground._

_"If you try to escape again, I will kill every last person in this village. If you disobey me even once, I will kill everyone. And don't think you can kill yourself to get out of it. If you do that then I'll make sure that everyone in the village is tortured and then killed." He slammed the door behind him and you broke down in tears, not knowing what else is left for you to do._

You sit up go to the bathroom to wash your face off, pushing your memories to the back of your mind forcefully. You hear a knock on your door and open it to see Lee standing there.

"Lee-san, what is it?" you ask politely.

"I just wanted to tell you that dinner is going to be ready in ten minutes!" he said enthusiastically. You nod and follow him downstairs where you share an interesting, but peaceful dinner with the rest of them. Following Lee's advise you avoid the dishes that Tenten had prepared, especially after seeing Gai's face after he had taken a bite. Afterwards everyone went upstairs to get ready for bed while you stayed behind to help Gai with the dishes.

"I was wondering Gai," you say, drying the last dish and handing it to him to put away, "if you wouldn't mind telling them about me." He nearly dropped the dish, but compensated and put it away.

"I've told them all they need to know already. This is a fresh start for you that you should take advantage of. Your past doesn't matter anymore." You sigh and lean back against the counter, staring at the opposite wall.

"This is a fresh start, but my past is who I am, and if I'm going to be staying in this house, they deserve to know who they're sleeping next to," you say. "It's unfair to keep it from them, but I think that it would be better coming from you. But if you don't tell them, then I will. It's up to you." You walk out of the room and up the stairs. You're not sure whether you liked how everything was going so far, but you had a lot of time to work out details.

"Ah, Yukiko-chan," you hear a voice say and turn to see Lee in his pj's in front of his room.

"Uh, goodnight," he said, blushing slightly.

"Goodnight, Lee-kun," you say softly and retreat into your room. Laying down on your bed your smile. 'Well, at least I've found one thing about this village that I like' you think, curling up into a ball under your covers and falling asleep, dreaming about the color green.

**Yay! You finally got to meet Lee! Don't worry, there will be more of him with each progressing chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope everyone is enjoying so far. It gets better! :)**

"So I take it you're not a morning person?" Tenten said with a nervous smile. She stood in your doorway, blinking wide eyes at the barrage of shuriken that had just pounded into the door frame around her. Standing on your bed you try to relax your body. When she had entered seconds before, you had snapped awake and on instinct thrown the arsenal which you sleep with at all times. You sigh, thankful that you had been able to divert them at the last second to hit the door frame and not Tenten.

"Sorry, old habit," you mumble, stepping down from the bed and straightening your clothes, casually checking that your bandanna was still in place.

"Well, Gai-sensei just made lunch, if you'd like to come down," she said. You nod, noting that your stomach was growling at you a bit.

"I'll be down in a little while," you say and she smiles before retreating out of your room. You dress in your tank top and shorts but hesitate with your mask. Smiling slightly, you decide to leave it down. But your smile fades away as your eyes land on a scroll that you had laid out on a desk earlier, its red ink shining at you. Now was as good a time as any to tell them. Sooner was better than later. You clomped down the stairs noisily, finding Gai-sensei, Tenten, and Neji at the table. Gai-sensei caught your eye and you nod. He stood up and opened his mouth wide to begin, but couldn't even get a sound out.

"Wait! Where's Lee?" you ask, suddenly realizing that not everyone was present. He wasn't in sight and you hadn't heard him while you were upstairs which meant he wasn't home. Damn.

"What? Oh, he's at the training grounds most likely," Tenten said. You turn to her with a slightly curious look.

"The training grounds? On a Saturday?" you ask, but Tenten actually lets out a laugh.

"Lee trains everyday, no matter what. He leaves before sunrise and he usually wont get back until late at night. Why are you so interested?" She raised a teasing eyebrow at you while you quickly thought up an excuse.

"Well, I think that anyone can overdo it," you say, looking away from her. "I bet he doesn't even stop for meals, that's so unhealthy. I'll just take him some of this, so he'll at least have one meal right?" Your arms move so quickly gathering up food that they don't see. "Well, I'll be going then. Thank you for the food!" And you are gone. Poof. Not even Gai knew which direction you had taken off in.

"What was that about?" Tenten asked out loud.

"I'm not... sure," Gai said, trailing off as he spied a note pinned to the front of his jounin vest. He removed it and held it up to his face. In your handwriting it read:** Gai, please tell them now. I'll take care of Lee.** He sweatdropped and crumpled the paper up. Sighing he turned to his two present students.

"Neji, Tenten, there's something I need to tell you about Yukiko-san..."

Running along rooftops, you actually catch yourself humming. You couldn't get caught up in having fun. You were on your way to give someone very solemn news... with an armful of goodies. You missed being able to just run around and do whatever you felt like. You had always had a knack for sneaking and that had opened up some unique opportunities for mischief back in your hometown. When you were younger. You touch down silently at the edge of the training grounds. Just like you suspected, it was deserted. What person, shinobi or not, would spend a Saturday morning training? So, it wasn't all that hard to find Lee.

You look down at him from your perch in a tree branch at the edge of his area. _This guy... is nuts_, you think to yourself. No wonder he usually was out until late. Watching him train was like watching someone bet against themselves but just keep playing. With each exercise he would up the anti.

"6,657, 6,658, 6,659," he said, punching a very worn looking tree stump repeatedly. "If I cannot complete these, I will do 10,000 squats! 6,664, 6,665..." You hopped down to the ground, making enough noise to make him turn.

"Yukiko-chan!" he said in surprise. You feel your cheeks flush at his informality.

"Konnichiwa Lee-san," you reply politely in a light voice, trying to cover your embarrassment.

"What are you doing here?" he asked you, still surprised by your arrival.

"Oh, I... brought you lunch!" you say quickly, holding out your arms. "Tenten told me that you stay out here all day sometimes and I-I thought you should at least have one decent meal in the day." You don't know what's wrong with you. _Ok, well maybe I'll just get the ball rolling with the food, then I'll tell him,_ you think.

Lee's face was priceless. He was so happy that he walked right over to you and began unloading your arms. He spread the blanket you had been holding everything in on the ground and put the food on it like a picnic.

"Um, would you eat with me Yukiko-san?" Lee asked, humbly. He had obviously picked up on his slip earlier and was attempting to be extra polite to make up for it. You look up at his cute face, gaze on the ground and cheeks blushing, and you can't help but smile a little.

"Alright," you say. After all, you did grab enough for yourself as well since you hadn't had anything to eat yet. Lee managed to not jump for joy, but was still all grins as the two of you ate.

After a while Lee got back up and started to train again while you watched. Your eyes followed his movements perfectly, watching his precision and power, and even grace that were in his movements. _Does this guy live for anything except being a shinobi?_ You ask hard work and determination radiated from every part of him. The difference now was clear to you, between those who used their skills because they had to, and those who wanted to. He loved being a shinobi, you could tell. A small smile played on your lips when you realized he was showing off a little for you... and you didn't mind. He came back over and sat down on the blanket next to you.

"Gomen, watching me practice must really be boring," he apologized. You shook your head at him.

"No, no, it's not boring, honest!" you tried to reassure him. Why am I trying to reassure him? "You're very skilled Lee-san." Ok, that was true. You had finished your share of the rice balls and was twirling a napkin between your fingers absently. Lee quickly devoured the last of his rice balls.

"So, how come you're only practicing taijutsu?" you ask after a while, taking your eyes off the napkin in your grasp.

"Well, I can't use any ninjutsu or genjutsus at all, so it's the only thing I can do," he said, surprising you. "But I will prove that I can become a great shinobi by only using taijutsu and hard work! That is my nindo!" He stood as he said it, his eyes becoming inflamed. You stare at him. He was so passionate about his own code, his way of the ninja. You were a bit jealous actually.

"That's great Lee. You're already really talented, so I'd say you've already proved your nindo and are living it!" You say, finally crumpling up the napkin and tossing it aside. "I've never had a nindo really," you say, and your gaze drifted down to your hands which you folded in your lap. "I was always just," you give a short sigh, "a shinobi. Nothing else." Lee looked over at you and studied your face while you were looking away from him. He saw the sadness and regret that you tried to keep jammed in the back of your mind.

"It doesn't seem like you liked being a shinobi," he said, a little quietly. "Why did you apply to be one here then? What's different?" You looked over at him and he caught your gaze.

"Well, I," you start, but falter a bit. You were getting a little lost in those eyes of his. "I think I'll like it here!" you finished, giving a fake smile and closing your eyes. You hoped that you were convincing. Secretly though, you wished that it would become a place that you liked. After all, with your promise to the Hokage, you were going to be staying there for quite a while.

Meanwhile, your statement had seemed to work. Lee was up on his feet, looking down at you with his fists clenched. You blink up at him.

"Let me show you around the village!" he said. Blink. "Let me show you how nice of a place Konoha is!"

"Lee..." you open your mouth but nothing else comes out. You had come here to tell him the truth about who you were and why you were here. The sooner the better, you had told yourself. But looking into Lee's face was a loosing battle. The look on his face was so hopeful, and he waited with a hand out for you patiently. He was like a gentleman, you thought to yourself. Never ever, especially in the inner ropes of the Organization, had you met a guy like him.

And you couldn't bring yourself to tell him. _ Damn it, just say it!_ A voice in your head echoed as you took his offered hand and stood, your fingers feeling his calloused and worn ones. He works so hard every day... _Just say that you were a money-grubbing assassin who's killed countless people on the whim of a madman just to save your own slimy hide!_ Ok, you were being a little hard on yourself. You knew that there was more to the whole truth. But when you looked up into Lee's happy face, you couldn't help but let out a small giggle that he just barely caught. His smile widened a bit and he offered you his arm.

"Shall we go then?" he asked. You simply nod and hook your arm through his and you start to make your way out of the training grounds and into the streets of the village.

**This chapter was originally going to have your time in town with Lee in it too, but instead it's going to get a chapter to itself. So, tune in next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**OMG what was up with the site not letting me in for so long?!?! Argh!! I missed it by a matter of hours seriously. Well, now that I can finally share this chapter with you all I am so happy and relieved that it wasn't just my computer or something like that. Thank you for your reviews so far everyone, the fluffiness is all for you! **

**Oh, I also drew a pic of Yukiko and have it up on Quizilla at .com/stories/8876755/nobodys-there-rock-lee-romance-ch3 **

**It doesn't like me putting up that addy, so the beginning is Quizilla dot com. Haha, delete that!**

**Enjoy!**

**...  
**

Lee's P.O.V.

After you are done eating your shaved ice (Italian ice) you throw your spoon and cup away before looking back to Yukiko. She was just taking her last bite.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, putting the cup down before tossing it. "That was so good, thank you Lee-san." You smile at her. "I'm sorry I forgot my money," she added for the fifth time. You stand and she follows your lead. You had showed her only a few shops and things so far, but you were enjoying yourself immensely. And although Yukiko was quiet, she seemed to be loosening up and enjoying herself too. _At least I hope... _you think to yourself.

"Nonsense! I would never make a lady pay," you say back to her, making her look away. You look forward and start to make your way down the street. You had just begun to decide where to show her next when you feel a small arm wrap around yours. Surprised, you look over at Yukiko to see her still looking away, but the corner of her mouth is turned up ever so slightly. Beaming, you lead the way through the crowd.

Up ahead though, you see a familiar pink head of hair standing in front of the Yamanaka flower shop. She seemed to be in the grips of a heated discussion with a certain blond. Glancing over at Yukiko you try to decide whether to try to avoid the two or try to just walk by. But the choice is taken away when you hear your name being called. Looking up, you see Sakura waving at you with a happy look on her face.

"Is she, calling you?" Yukiko asked, looking at Sakura as well.

"Lee! Over here!" she called. You had no choice but to make your way over, Yukiko in tow.

"Hi Lee, listen you can solve a problem for us. Which-," Sakura started, but she had been so caught up in her own goals that she just noticed Yukiko. She stopped and looked at her, then at your arms which were still intertwined, and then at you.

"Oh Lee, I didn't mean to bother you while you were on a date," she said apologetically to you. "Hello again Yukiko." Ino looked over at the two of you with a sly grin, her interest peaked.

"Man Yukiko, you sure work fast!" she said loudly.

Your P.O.V.

The two girls' words rung through your head as your whole face flushes.

"W-we're not on a date!" you say, a little too loudly, surprising Sakura and Ino a bit. You look down at the street before continuing. "Lee was kind enough to show me around since I'm new." You look up at Lee and smile.

"Ikuso Lee," you say. He seems a little dazed, but nods and the two of you continue on down the street away from the other girls.

You can't believe yourself. You blushed so much when Sakura had said you were on a date! _I've been here two days and I'm already acting different,_ you think to yourself. _But I'm relaxed, and doing what I want to do..._ for the first time in a very long time. No matter how strange you thought you were acting, or any other factors that you told yourself were affecting you, you had to admit that you were having a good time with Lee. You look up at him and he gives you a big smile. _And he seems to be too..._

A few hours later...

Lee had taken you all around the market district, taken you to a shrine, walked you through a park that was really pretty, and he even showed you the academy where a group of young hopeful shinobis had made the two of you play with them. Now you were walking down a street that you didn't know the name to walking in an unknown direction. You had become very turned around and really had no idea where the two of you were, but it was a quiet little street and you were busy enjoying the company.

"So that was when Gai-sensei came in," Lee said. He was telling you about one of the missions that his team had been on and you were walking beside him listening interestedly. He sure seemed to admire his sensei. But then again, you could already tell by the fact that he dressed exactly like him and had the same haircut.

You looked into the window display of a small clothes shop as you passed by and paused. There was a manikin on display wearing a white spaghetti strap dress. It was short and and the skirt flared out a little. You really _really_ liked it.

Lee meanwhile had noticed you lagging and came back to see what had stopped you. He looked up in the window and then back at you looking at the dress. He smiled as he got an idea.

"Yukiko-san you should try that on," he said, surprising you. You turned to him and glanced between him and the dress.

"Oh, no I was just looking at it, that's ok," you say.

"I can see how much you like it, come on, I know it will look good on you," he said, pulling your arm a little. You look at him with helpless eyes then back up at the dress.

"Well, it would be fun to try it on..." you say and before you know it you are in the shop and Lee is asking the woman at the counter about the dress. She took down one in your size and showed you to a little dressing room. She smiled at you and handed you the garment.

"Your boyfriend has good taste," she said and pulled the curtain shut on your wide-eyed look of shock. _Did everyone who saw us today think we were on a date? _you think exasperatedly to yourself, shaking your head. You sigh and take your clothes off, putting them in a pile in the chair that was in there with you. Then, pulling it off the hanger, you slip the dress over your head. The straps crossed in the back so you had a bit of trouble before you finally got it on and brushed it smooth.

You looked at your reflection and smiled. It was so pretty! And you looked pretty in it. But your smile started to fade.

_What am I doing? _You frown at your reflection. _I came out here to tell him the truth about me and now just look at me! He's so great, but I can't keep doing this. It's too cruel... to both of us. _Quickly, you changed back into your clothes and stepped out of the dressing room. The shopkeeper was talking with Lee who looked over at you when you emerged. His expression changed quickly when he saw your face. You looked past him and walked out of the shop. Lee called after you.

"Yukiko-san! What's wrong?" He stepped out the front of the shop and saw you standing against the wall, brow furrowed and a frown still on your face.

"Did it not fit?" he asked. You did not want to look at him. You just took a deep breath.

"I need to talk to you," you said.

"Alright." He understood it was serious.

"Not here," you say and jump up to the nearest rooftop, Lee right behind you. You scan the area and head for the training grounds which were easy to spot from high up. You move fast, but Lee easily keeps up with you. You couldn't risk being overheard, and the training grounds was the one place that you knew was deserted.

Touching down on the dirt in front of three training posts you finally stop and hear Lee land a distance behind you. You turn and look up at him. He has a concerned look on his face, but doesn't say anything. You take a deep breath, look him in the eye, and speak.

"I'm not who you think I am Lee." He got a puzzled look on his face and started to question, but you pressed on. "I'm an assassin who works for an group called the Organization. I was sent to Konoha to kill Hatake Kakashi, and anyone who got in my way."

"I don't believe you."

"Wh-what?" you say, blinking at him. That was probably the only reaction you hadn't expected.

"Yukiko-san is too good of a person for that to be true," he said, looking into your eyes. You look back at him and sigh.

"Even the most gentle soul can do awful things... when put under the right pressure," you say miserably. You close your eyes and swallow, knowing there was one sure-fire way to convince him. You opened your mouth, and told him your story.

He folded his arms at first, but when you begun about your family, he heard in your voice that it was true. He listened as you told him about their deaths, your capture, how you were forced to work for Bossman... You continued on to how he had trained you, raising you from the age of four on blood and death. How you had made your first kill at the age of seven, and finally how three years ago you began your plan to escape and keep your clan safe.

"The only way for my clan to stay safe and for me to be free, is if I die. Well, if Bossman thinks that I die at least. If he thinks I was killed on my mission then the rest of my people will be safe and I'll never have to..." you give a little sob. You had started crying in the middle of your story, but continued on anyway. You felt so ashamed right now. Of everything you had ever done in your life. You looked up into Lee's eyes. He had such a caring look on his face. Why?

"I'm sorry, I meant to tell you everything this morning, when I came out here to see you. But..." you looked down. "You were just so nice to me and you... made me feel like I was just a normal girl. I just wanted to hang on to that. I'm so sorry Lee..." you fell to your knees and began to cry in earnest. It's been a while since you've let it all out like this. You close your eyes tight and sob.

You feel something hit the ground in front of you before a pair of strong arms wrap around you. You open your eyes and look at Lee.

"You- You're not angry? Or scared, or...?"

"You don't deserve any of those feelings toward you. Your intentions are honorable, and just because you were forced to do bad things Yukiko-san, it doesn't mean that you aren't still a good person," he said. _Well damn... _You wrap your arms around him and lean into his shoulder. It was strange... you were crying but you felt like laughing.

"Hey," you say and he looks at you. "You can call me Yukiko-chan." He smiles that smile of his and that does it; you laugh.

"Alright, but only if you stop calling me Lee-san," he replied. You nod and smile at him, wiping tears off your face and sniffing.

"God I probably look awful," you say, leaning away from him a bit, trying to wipe your nose and face knowing it was pointless.

"You could never look awful Yukiko," he said and reached a hand up to brush a piece of hair out of your face. You close your eyes as his fingers gently brush across your cheek. He moves his hand to smooth down your hair, but instead when his hand felt the top of your bandanna, he froze.

You jerk back from him, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Yukiko... what is-"

"Nothing!" you say quickly. He looks at your seriously, but you scoot backwards away from him and stand.

"Yukiko-chan," he says, stopping you. "What is under there?" _Oh god... _you think and sigh in resignation. You look up at him.

"Ok. But you can't tell anyone," you say and reach up. Lee watches intently as you pull the dark material away slowly until out pop two...

(Oh come on already!)

Fluffy...

(Hurry up!)

White...

(Aargh! You're evil!)

Cat ears. Lee gapes at you. You run a hand through your hair nervously, your ears flattening a little with your expression.

Lee's P.O.V.

You stared at her; you couldn't stop. _She... is a cat girl?_ You looked up at her ears again and you can tell that they are definitely real. _And... really cute... _you think. They were so fluffy and white, and they went with her hair so well... but wait. How does a cat girl even exist?

"Yuki... ko... chan," you say, not able to form any of the right words.

Your P.O.V.

You look back up at Lee.

"I'm part of the Kagetora clan. Everyone in my village has them. It's said that one of our ancestors was a demon, and the trait was passed on. So uh, do you think I look weird?" Lee blinks at you.

"Weird? If anything they make you look cuter..." he says, blushing. You feel your face flush too as you smile a bit. Lee sighs and looks you in the eye.

"I seem to be finding out all your secrets today Yukiko-chan. Any more?" he asks jokingly. You look at him and bite your lip.

"Um, well..." you say and reach behind you. Lee looks at you curiously as you pull the back of your shorts down and pull out your tail which matches your ears. It flicks back and forth, glad to be free of its constraints.

"Um, I have a tail too."

Lee got a strange look on his face, then fell over backwards with a thud. You rush over to him. His whole face is red and he's unconscious.

"Lee! Lee? Daijoubu? Lee?" you say, shaking him, but he wont stir. "Ah! What did I do?" you yell.

**...**

**Ikuso=Let's go **

**Daijoubu=Are you alright?**

**Kagetora=Shadow Tiger **

**...**

**Well I hope you all liked this chapter and were surprised maybe? I know I kinda gave it away in the beginning, but I was hoping you wouldn't notice or forget about it until now. So you're a cat girl (and this isn't a Kiba fic, hmm). It might be a few days before the next chapter is up, but I love reviews! Hint hint.**


	5. Chapter 5

**_I can't believe how fast I am writing chapters, but this one is all thanks to Disobedience! Thank you so much for the ideas and the inspirational music! This chapter is dedicated to you buddy! ^_^ Hope you all enjoy this chapter!_**

.....

You sat down in your room upstairs after you had dragged Lee all the way home. Inside, you had been greeted by a few different looks. Tenten was staring at you with uncertain eyes, and Neji was giving you a smug look. Gai was the only one who seemed to notice Lee's state at first. You had brought him over the couch and laid him down.

"He's fine, he just saw something... really cute," you said. This had earned strange looks from everyone.

"I'm going to bed," you had said and departed without another word. From the looks of things, Lee was the only one that would be ok with your past.

You spread the scroll out in front of you, after lighting some insense. You let your eyes lazily drift over the red ink scrolled across the surface, taking in each name as you did every day. It was a list of everyone you had ever killed. Every day you read them and prayed for all their souls. It was the only thing that you could do for them, especially in your early years in the Organization.

Back in those days, it was one of the only things that kept you sane. Without it, you knew that you would have really turned into the uncaring killer that Bossman thought he had turned you into. Smiling a bit, you remembered it had been Marric that had made the suggestion to make the list in the first place.

You rolled the scroll back up and tied it closed, sighing. You were going to miss the red-haired thief. He might have been an annoying slime-ball at times, but he had always watched after you. In the beginning he always asked to be assigned to your missions and even snuck along when you were supposed to be working alone. He had always been good for a laugh, but you needed to forget about him too now. He was part of your past life, and for your own sake, you truly wished that you would never see him again.

**Meanwhile downstairs...**

Lee had woken up to find himself surrounded by his teammates and sensei.

"Lee, are you alright?" Tenten asked, concerned. Lee sat up, holding his head, recalling just what had happened. His cheeks flushed and he looked around the room.

"Where is Yukiko-chan?" he asked, not seeing you anywhere. Tenten gave him a slightly disapproving look.

"Lee, you know about her right? Gai-sensei told us today that she-" she started, but Lee cut her off.

"Then he also told you why she came here then?" he said, giving her a hard look.

"W-well, Lee we only have her word that she really wants to quit," Tenten retorted.

"That's good enough for me," Lee said and stood. "Isn't that right, Gai-sensei?"

"Right Lee!" Gai said, posing enthusiastically. "Now, listen you two. Yukiko is a strong and youthful girl who is joining our village of her own will. Soon she'll be a valuable asset to us all the same as the rest of you. You shouldn't judge her on actions that she was forced into." He clapped Neji and Tenten on the shoulders.

Tenten looked down, rethinking her actions, a little embarrassed with herself. Neji however, shrugged and turned away.

"It doesn't matter to me either way," he said and departed.

"He's just upset that she got the better of him," Lee said.

"But he probably underestimated her, it wasn't exactly fair Lee!" Tenten protested, trying to defend Neji as Gai chuckled at his students.

___

Over the next few days you got used to life in Konoha. You spent most of your time either wandering the streets, trying to learn where everything was or at the training grounds. You had been given permission to train with teams there in order to prepare for your examination that was coming up. So that had given you the opportunity to get to know the other young shinobi in the village better.

One of your favorite sparring partners had surprisingly become Naruto. He wasn't very good with any techniques except the kage bunshin, but he made up for that with pure energy and stubbornness.

You had also made friends with Hinata, being the only other girl besides Tenten whom you wished to socialize with, but hadn't spent as much time with her team so far because Shino still creeped you out.

When training with Gai's team, you mainly sat on the sidelines and watched. This was a side effect of them knowing the truth about you. Neji constantly wanted a rematch with you to prove that it was luck when you had beaten him, and Tenten was a bit afraid to fight you because of how strong she knew you were. And Lee... well let's just say you were still a bit embarrassed about your confession the other day and his subsequent reaction. Your face still heated up when you thought of how he had fallen over after seeing your tail.

On the afternoon of your 5th day in Konoha, you were in a remote corner of the training grounds practicing some of your more secret techniques when there came an awful sound that hurt your ears and shook the ground. Retrieving all your shuriken you swiftly made your way toward the source of the explosion and found yourself watching a panic by the city's main gate.

For the sound it had made, the explosion seemed only to have been caused by a small thrown bomb. The casualties were minimal, and you already saw teams of able-bodied shinobi moving around to help the wounded or moving out of the gate. You caught one's arm.

"Hey, what happened?" you demanded. The shinobi looked you over.

"The village is being attacked, you should be with your team," he said and tried to loosen your grip on his arm.

"Who's attacking?" you questioned him further.

"We're not sure yet, but there are a limited number of them," he said and you let him go. He departed to join the rest of his team after giving you a slightly dirty look.

_Well, time to keep up my end of the bargain, _you thought, pulling up your mask. Quickly, you were out of the gates and following in the direction of the teams that had already left. Behind you, you could hear the two shinobi that were your shadows pursuing you.

Quite suddenly you heard that awful sound again. Your fluffy ears twitched under your bandanna and you felt like you could retch from the intensity. _Time to get serious. _

From the perspective of the ninja following you, you simply vanished. You didn't want anyone to interfere with your job, as you saw it. People who had the nerve to attack _your_ village while you had the strength to protect it would pay by _your_ hands. Your eyes flashed as you pulled out a few shuriken and landed silently on a branch overlooking the spot where the second explosion had come from. To your surprise there didn't seem to be any damage at all. But the unknown shinobi were still there. Three of them. From their look they were mercenaries, hired for the highest bid to do the lowliest jobs out there.

You formed a hand seal and had two clones appear in their midst, taking them by surprise. You yourself stayed back and threw a barrage of shuriken at the unsuspecting men. However, their reflexes were better than you had expected and they dodged easily, forcing you to move quickly to a different location as they retaliated.

You reappeared behind a tree a ways away, thinking over your strategy. You weren't able to hold your shadow ninjutsu for more than a minute before using up a considerable amount of chakra. You concentrated and formed two more clones. This time you sent one of them up to attack from the treetops while you and the other one slipped back among them.

You dodged attacks swiftly, making them get frustrated.

"Stupid bitch, she's using the same tricks! The real one is up there!" the one fighting her said, pointing up into the tree where her clone resided. With that he landed what he thought would be the finishing blow. Instead, you caught and pulled his arm, throwing him off balance before swinging your legs up around his head and breaking his neck deftly. The cracking sound forced the other shinobi's attention over to you, but you were ready.

With your left hand you threw three of your special kunai directly at them. One of them moved to dodge, and the other lifted his own kunai to block the attack. You smirked and pulled on the fine strings that were attached to your kunai, changing their trajectory in mid-flight.

The shinobi who had moved to dodge could not move again in time and one of the kunai landed deeply in his neck. The other one however had managed to block it partially, but received a deep gash up his arm as a result.

You moved to vanish again but discovered to your horror that you could not move. _Impossible..._ you thought, but try as you might, you could not budge.

"Idiots, what are you doing playing around like this?" you heard a voice say from behind you. You swiveled your eyes around and watched as a man in black and red walked by you towards the one shinobi who remained standing. The shinobi spit on the ground and put his kunai away at the sight of the man. He didn't reply, but leaned down to help the man with your kunai in his neck to sit up. Apparently he was still alive, to your disappointment.

"Well where have you been? You're one to talk about playing around," the man grumbled. This earned a laugh from the man in red and black.

"I've been assuring our clean getaway from those pesky Konoha troops," he said in a voice smooth and cold as glass. He turned to you and looked you over. You were still trying to figure a way out of your situation, to no avail. The man brushed his long black hair away from his face and leered closely at you with eerie orange eyes.

"Still haven't figured it out little one?" he chided you. "Just what did I bind you with huh? Is it a technique? Chakra strings?" He laughed out loud. "From the look of things you aren't too good with genjutsu, so it seems that you can't get out of it on your own there." He turned back to the other men.

"Now hurry up so we can leave," he said and vanished from sight.

You couldn't believe it. A genjutsu? You kicked yourself mentally. Even you admitted that you had never been good with those particular techniques, but still, to not even recognize being under one? For all you knew, you could have been under one for even longer, and had not even laid a finger on the other men, playing out the whole fight in an illusion in your own mind. You grit your teeth and glared at the man who was still standing. He grinned at you.

"Well now, I'm gonna make you sorry for what you did to my friends little lady," he said, licking the edge of his kunai menacingly.

**In Konoha a while earlier...**

In the Hokage's office, jounin were gathered together to get their orders in light of the attack on the village. They were all filing out when a rather harassed-looking Lee burst in through the door.

"Lee, I was just coming to find you all," Gai-sensei said, standing by the Hokage's desk. "Find Neji and Tenten and go back to the house, teams have already been sent out to take care of the intruders." Lee did not seem reassured by his sensei's words.

"I... I can't find Yukiko-chan!" he said. The Hokage laced his fingers together in front of him.

"Yukiko-san's shadows reported to me a short while ago. It seems they lost track of her while she was making her way out the main gate," he said. "It seems she is eager to defend Konoha."

"Gai-sensei!" Lee said imploringly to his teacher.

"Now Lee, let's not bother Hokage-sama with our problems," he said, marching Lee out of the door while he protested greatly. When they had gotten out of earshot however, he turned Lee around and leaned close so he would not be overheard.

"Lee, you know what I told you. Only to protect someone VERY important to you. Understood?" he whispered conspiratorially. Lee's face was overjoyed.

"Thank you Gai-sensei!" he said and was gone in a flash, literally. Gai barely caught his cast-off weights in time to keep them from crashing through the floor. _That's my Lee,_ he thought.

**Back in the forest with you...**

_Ok, just stay focused Yukiko, you can get out of this,_ you thought, watching the leering man approach at his leisure. You needed to concentrate enough to forcibly stop this genjutsu so you could finish kicking this guys ass, as well as any other comrades he had in the area. Just thinking about that guy in red and black made you even more furious. But you needed to stay calm. You closed your eyes and with a last burst of chakra, you felt the genjutsu lift off you. You decided to pretend to remain frozen until the man drew closer.

_He wont know what hit him... _you thought, just as a green blur flashed in front of your eyes and you saw the man fly back and bounce off a tree with a sickening thud. You were so shocked that you fell backwards on your butt, staring up at Lee, who was standing in front of you.

"You will not touch Yukiko-chan again!" he declared. The man was picking himself up painfully and glared at Lee. He drew out another kunai and lunged forward toward him. But Lee was too fast. In fact, he was so fast that even you had difficulty keeping up with him. You just sat there, marveling at this newfound speed. _Lee, how in the world...? Did he come to rescue me?_ You blushed at the thought as he gave the man a final kick to the head. The man skidded away and with a frustrated grunt, threw a smoke bomb down and disappeared along with his two comrades.

Lee turned around and caught your eye.

"Are you alright, Yukiko-chan?" he asked, holding out a hand to you. You took it and stood, trying not to feel too embarrassed. You reached up and pulled your mask down, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"I'm fine, those guys just really pissed me off," you said, brushing your clothes off and getting ready to pursue them. It wasn't likely that he would make good time weighed down by two of his comrades.

"Teams have already been dispatched to take care of them Yukiko-chan. We should head back," Lee said.

"I'm not on a team yet so I'll do what I can to- LEE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" In the middle of your statement he had stepped forward and picked you up bridal style. You were in complete shock and felt your face positively burning up. Lee turned on his heel and took off at top speed, making you hang on for dear life.

_Damn you Lee, I'll get you for this!_ you thought angrily and embarrassedly as you clung to him while the scenery flashed by. You tried not to think about how strong he must be to carry you at this speed, or the way he had come all the way out here just for you, or... you punched yourself mentally.

Before you knew it you were back in Konoha, standing in the Hokage's office with Gai and the rest of the team. You looked up at the Hokage's face and knew immediately that you shouldn't have acted on your own.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama. I just wanted to keep up my end of the bargain," you said. Silence. You looked up and noticed that everyone in the room was looking at you strangely. Lee was blushing and pointed to your head. Inclining an eyebrow you raised your hands to your head and discovered that your bandanna was missing!

"Lee!" you punched him on the head. "You ran so fast that my bandanna came off damnit!" You shook him by the collar and for a few minutes there was near pandemonium in the office.

The Hokage cleared his throat.

"Well, now that that's over with," he said, "I do wish to warn you Yukiko-san to not act so rashly in the future. There was no way of telling how serious the situation was or how advanced the intruders' skill would be. Plus, not everyone in this village trusts you fully yet, and may have been inclined to think that you were using the attack as a diversion somehow." You looked down at your feet, your ears flattening to your head.

"But I thank you," he continued, making you look up with surprise. "As soon as this village was threatened you leapt to action courageously. I'm looking forward to seeing what you're capable of during your examination tomorrow." The exam had almost slipped your mind in all the excitement and you felt a nervous pang in your stomach at the reminder that it was so close. The Hokage patted your shoulder and gave you a smile that you couldn't help but return.

**Far away, in the top floor of the Organizaion's HQ...**

Bossman stood, looking out the window of his office, smirking down at the remnants of the Kagetora clan, who were kept alive only by his mercy. He blew smoke out of his nostrils, looking down at the courier's message once again. He couldn't help but let out a ruthless laugh.

"Too bad for you my little cat, but things are going according to _my_ plan..."

**.....**

**So the plot thickens, you got to kick some butt, and Lee came galantly to your rescue, aww!**

**Lee: Of course! I'll always be there to protect you!**

***hits on the head with a hammer* Jeez, save it for the story you! Well, stay tuned for the next chapter everyone, and as always I hope you enjoyed! ^_^**


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